Prosecutors have charged a 23-year-old former Walmart employee with first- and third-degree murder following the fatal shooting of his estranged wife outside a Pennsylvania retail store last month.
Destino Jean Louis, 23, stands accused of killing 45-year-old Latosha Ann Cooper on October 21 in the parking lot of the Cheltenham Walmart location, where both individuals had previously been employed. In addition to first- and third-degree murder charges, Jean Louis faces multiple firearms offenses.
According to court documents and investigators, Jean Louis and Cooper had entered into a romantic relationship that culminated in obtaining a marriage license on March 31, 2025, followed by their wedding the subsequent month. However, interviews conducted by investigators with relatives and former coworkers revealed that the union was allegedly orchestrated to help Jean Louis secure legal immigration status in the United States. Jean Louis had originally entered the country from Haiti in 2023 under a humanitarian program that was later terminated.
Investigators stated that Cooper eventually severed contact with Jean Louis. In July 2026, she formally withdrew an immigration petition that would have permitted him to remain in the country as her spouse.
The fatal shooting occurred at approximately 11:30 p.m. as Cooper left work. A criminal complaint and probable cause affidavit detailed that Cooper and a coworker walked out to their vehicles together and were standing in the parking lot talking when a masked individual approached. The coworker reported seeing a black male wearing a blue-gray thin hooded sweatshirt with the hood up and a facial covering walk past her, slowly approach Cooper, and open fire.
Fleeing the immediate gunfire, the coworker ran back toward the store entrance, shouted for employees to unlock the door, and contacted 911. Responding police officers discovered Cooper lying beside her Nissan sedan suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators determined that the gunman fled on foot toward Philadelphia.
Surveillance footage recovered from the scene showed a masked man waiting near a bush with an unobstructed view of the Walmart entrance before Cooper exited the building. An autopsy subsequently concluded that she died of multiple gunshot wounds.
In the course of their investigation, detectives spoke with store employees who reported that Jean Louis had previously admitted to physically assaulting Cooper because he believed she had disrespected him. When a coworker rebuked him and told him his actions were wrong, Jean Louis allegedly replied that such disrespect was not tolerated in his native country and that he would repeat the behavior. Staff members also told investigators that Jean Louis frequently inquired about Cooper’s work schedule, a fact Jean Louis later acknowledged during a post-arrest interview with detectives.
Digital evidence further cemented the case against Jean Louis. Cellphone records reviewed by investigators demonstrated multiple trips between his residence in Philadelphia and the Cheltenham Walmart in the weeks leading up to the homicide, and placed his device directly near the store at the time of the shooting.
U.S. Marshals apprehended Jean Louis on October 23 at a Philadelphia residence on immigration violations. The U.S. Marshals Service noted that he had overstayed his visa and was identified as the primary suspect in Cooper’s death. During a subsequent search of the residence, authorities recovered a bag containing 11 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition, which matched the caliber of the projectiles recovered from the victim.
During questioning, Jean Louis denied killing Cooper, claimed he was at the Philadelphia home when the shooting took place, and denied ever possessing a firearm. He is currently being held without bail at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
